Agricultural planters with larger seed tanks or hoppers require filling with small seed bags, large portable bulk seed hoppers, bulk bags and/or augers. Planters with large seed tanks usually have some kind of steps or ladder and platform to access the seed tanks. The railing on the platform frequently interferes with easy access to the tanks requiring extra effort to carry seed bags up the steps or move them over the railing. Positioning an auger to fill the tanks is made more difficult as the auger may interfere with the railing.
A typical planter may have an elongated tool bar which is supported for movement across and over fields by a plurality of wheels and which is adapted to be towed in a given forward direction by a power source such as an off-highway tractor or the like. A drawbar extends from the tool bar and connects to the tractor. Attached to the tool bar are a plurality of planting/row units spaced at intervals. The larger seed tanks or hoppers typically are supported by a frame which can be connected to the toolbar and/or drawbar, and are generally located in the center of the planter. The seed tanks or hoppers can provide seed to the planting/row units via a plenum, and the row units can additionally include mini-hoppers and/or a granular, or other type, chemical hopper. The access platform discussed above can be generally located at least partially above some of the planting/row units, and may also include access steps or a ladder which extend rearward of the planter and down towards the ground for personnel access to the platform. Another problem with the known agricultural planters is that the steps, ladders or part of the platform can extend over some of the row units, which can make the corresponding row units inaccessible or difficult to service.
What is needed in the art is an access assembly for planters which provide easy access for filling the large seed tanks or hoppers, while additionally providing good access to the planter/row units.